Box



makgh 3, 1%36. F A, BARTLETT 2,932,963

BOX

Filed May 13, 1935 INVENT OR.

ATTORNEY.

Patented Mar. 3, 1936 UNITED STATES 4 Claims.

This'invention relates to improvements in boxes and is directed more particularly to improvements in the type of boxes commonly known as knock-down shocks.

It is a principal object of this invention to provide a box of the knock-down shook type having upper, lower, side and end walls constructed and arranged for novel interlocking engagement and adapted to be readily assembled.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a box having novel reinforcing means associated with certain of the interlocking parts whereby a strong and rigid box is constructed. As a special feature, the box of this invention has end parts provided with means whereby the side walls are rigidly held in spaced relation so that the box may be readily packed,

Various other novel features and advantages of the invention will be observed from the following description of the present preferred form thereof which is taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of an upper or lower wall of the box of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of an end wall of the box of the invention;

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the end wall shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a front elevational view of the same;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a side wall of the invention;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the box of the invention in assembled relation;

Fig. '7 is a plan view of the comer of the box with the cover removed;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged plan View of the corner of the box with a part of the cover removed to show how the reinforcing strip thereof is associated with the side and end walls of the box; and

Fig. 9 is an end View of the bottom and side walls assembled with the cover and end walls omitted.

Referring now to the drawing more in detail, the invention will be fully described.

According to the present preferred form of the invention, there are provided cover and bottom members 2 and 4 which may be called upper and lower walls. They are substantially similar in construction and consist of flat wall members provided with reinforcing strips 6 at opposite ends of their inner sides, as shown.

These reinforcing members or strips 6 extend along opposite marginal edge portions of the fiat portions and they may be secured to the portions in any suitable manner such as by nailing or the (Cl. 2171Z) like. The strips 6 have sockets 3 in their outer ends which extend entirely through the end portions of the strip and are perpendicular relative to the fiat members. In this way there are formed open months at the inner sides of the plate members for receiving lock portions which will presently be described.

According to the preferred form of the invention, the sockets 8 are formed to have their side walls disposed in an inwardly diverging relation so that the mouths of the sockets are narrower than their inner portions. Preferably there are provided relatively thin reinforcing straps I which may be formed of metal and the like and are secured to opposite ends of the strips as by nails shown in Fig. 8.

These straps it may extend along opposite sides of the strips and over the mouths of the openings. It will be seen that these straps thus close up the open ends of the sockets and at the same time substantially reinforce the ends of the strips 5 to strengthen them and prevent splitting thereof. As a further advantage, the straps H! also tend to hold the ends of the strips 6 against expanding so that the socket walls will not yield. Then when the side walls of the box are in place as will now be described, the locks thereof are firmly embraced.

Side walls such as 29 are provided and these are also alike in construction. They comprise flat plate members having reinforcing strip members 24 at opposite ends thereof. The strips 24 have lock portions 28 on their opposite ends which are formed to be received in the sockets 8 of the upper and lower walls. The outer extremities of the locks or keys are spaced inwardly slightly as shown in. Fig. '7 to provide spaces into which the parts 16 of the upper and lower walls may fit as shown in Fig. 8.

The strips 2a are provided with slots or grooves v28 which extend along their outer longitudinal sides, as shown in Figs. 5 and 9. These are adapted to co-operate with the end walls of the box in a manner shortly to be described.

End walls 3%? which are alike in construction include plate portions and reinforcing posts 34 and 36 at opposite sides of their outer faces. Each of these posts has what may be called a spacing portion 31 and the post 34 has an outer reinforcing portion 39 and the post 36 has an outer reinforcing portion 40.

As will be seen in Figs. 2-4 incl., the spacer portions 3'! are of less length than the height of both the plates and reinforcing portions of the side walls. In this way there are formed recesses 42 and 44 between the plate of each end wall and the upper and lower end parts of the reinforcing portions, which recesses are adapted to receive the strips 6 when the parts are in assembled relation.

Also, the spacer portions 36 are of less Width than the parts 39 and 40 so that there are longitudinal recesses between the plate parts and the outer parts of the posts as shown in Fig. 2. These recesses are adapted to receive the portions of the reinforcing strips 24 when the various parts are assembled.

The posts 34 and 36 each have an outer flange part 46 which extends the length of the spacer parts 31 and 38. It may be here stated that the grooves 28 are of such length and depth as to receive the flange parts 46 when the box is assembled. Also the reinforcing portions 39 and 40 are of such length as to extend from the upper marginal edge of the assembled box to its lower marginal edge as shown in Fig. 6.

It is also desired to point out that the posts 34 and 36 may be formed from a single piece of material or they may be made of a number of separate pieces.

The method of assembling the various wall members will now be described. The lower wall or bottom member 2 is placed on a surface with itsstrips 6 uppermost. The side walls 20 and 22 are then put in place with their strips 24 facing one another and the lower keys 26 thereof received in the sockets 8 of the bottom Wall.

It will be noted that with this assembly (see Fig. 9) the grooves 28 in the side walls face outwardly. The end walls 30 and 32' are then slid downwardly into place. The plates of these end Walls are about equal to the distance between the side walls and the posts 34 and 36 are spaced apart such a distance that the flange parts 46 thereof slip into the grooves 28. In this way, the ends of the box are rigidly reinforced and the box'is sturdily set up for packing.

After packing, the cover 2 is put on with the sockets 8 thereof fitting around the keys at the upper ends of the reinforcing strips 24. The strips 6 of the cover are received in the recesses 42 at the upper sides of the end walls, the strips 6 of the bottom wall 4 having been received in the recesses 48 at the lower sides of the end walls.

Although in the form at present preferred the box of this invention is made of wood, the whole or parts thereof may be made of.other materials.

While I have described the invention in great detail and with respect to a preferred form thereof, it is not desired to be limited thereto since many changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. What it is desired to claim and secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A knock-down shook comprising in combination, upper and lower walls having reinforcing strips extending across their inner faces at opposite ends thereof which are provided with keyreceiving sockets in their opposite ends, side walls having reinforcing strips extending across their inner faces at opposite ends thereof which have keys at their opposite ends receivable in said sockets, and end walls including flat plate portions for extending between said side walls and reinforcing strip portions spaced from the plate portions by spacer portions, said last-named reinforcing portions being of greater length and width than said spacer portions to form upper and lower recesses between said plate portions and reinforcing portions for receiving the reinforcing strips of the upper and lower walls.

2. A knock-down shook comprising in combination, upper and lower walls having reinforcing strips extending across their inner faces at opposite ends thereof which are provided with keyreceiving sockets in their opposite ends, side walls having reinforcing strips extending across their inner faces at opposite ends thereof which have keys at their opposite ends receivable in said sockets, and end walls including flat plate portions for extending between said side walls and reinforcing posts secured to the outer faces of said plate portions at opposite endsthereof, said posts including spacer portions of a certain length and width adjacent said plate portions and reinforcing portions of greater length and width than said spacer portions adjacent said spacer portions to form recesses between said plate portions and reinforcing portions for receiving the reinforcing strips of the upper and lower walls and the reinforcing strips of said sidewalls.

3. A knock-down shook comprising in combination, upper and lower walls having reinforcing strips extending across their inner faces at opposite ends thereof which are provided with keyreceiving sockets in their opposite ends, side walls for extending between said upper and lower walls provided with keys which are receivable in said sockets, and end walls including flat plate portions for extending between said side walls and reinforcing portions on the outer faces of said plate portions formed to provide upper and lower recesses between said plate and reinforcing portions for receiving said reinforcing strips of the upper and lower walls, said side walls being provided with longitudinally extending grooves in their outermost faces and said reinforcing portions of the end walls being provided with tongue parts for engaging in said grooves of the side walls.

4. A knock-down shook comprising in combination, upper and lower walls having reinforcing strip members extending across their inner faces at opposite ends thereof, side walls for extending between said upper and lower walls provided with reinforcing strip members extending across their inner faces at opposite ends thereof, said strip members being provided with co-operating keys and key-receiving sockets, and end walls including fiat plate portions for extending between said side Walls and reinforcing posts secured to the outer faces of said plate portions at opposite ends thereof, said posts being formed to provide upper and lower recesses between said plate portions and posts for receiving the reinforcing strip members of the upper and lower walls.

FRANK A. BARTLETT. 

